I meet many wonderful people in my travels across Virginia in search of justice and equality for all people. Some of the most interesting and insightful are children and youth.

There is a young man, nicknamed “T,” in Winchester (pictured above), whom I have yet to meet, but his mother sent me a picture and a story about him. I think I already sort of know him, based on his picture and his mother’s message to me,You can see his picture (taken when he was six; he is now eight years old) on this blog. And here is what his mother, Connie, wrote to me about the picture.

From a young age, my son, T, has been very spiritual, like many small children are. He has sometimes surprised me with profound insights about the world or life. Then, he would return to doing what little boys do—playing with soccer balls or cars or blocks.To nurture his spirit, I have talked with T about “teachers of love” both revered and unknown. One of his favorite lessons was about Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement. We went to the National History Museum on MLK Day and watched some videos about that era. People holding signs fascinated him. He immediately understood their efforts to articulate their beliefs in a strong, but peaceful way.“People with signs can change the world,” he explained. I told him he was right.A few weeks later, T built a city in his room. He insisted on showing it to me.“Everyone here recycles, mom,” he said.“How do you know?”T pointed to a little figure behind a letter block: “because that guy is holding up a sign.”I asked T if he would like to make his own sign to convey his beliefs. He did.He wrote the simplest, wisest message of all: “LOVE. PEACE.”To a child like T, full of idealism and pure insight, presenting the truth can create ripples of change throughout the entrenched thinking in our communities. And people holding up signs can and do change the world.

T is my hero. He gets it. He knows why we Witness for LOVE!He knows that we have to hold up signs for what we believe in, and, I think, he knows that each of us is a sign ourselves—what we stand up for and speak out for (and against when that is necessary) is a sign we hold up for the world, for God, for the greater good. And when we don’t stand up, or speak out, or hold a sign, that is a sign, too. But it is a different kind of sign. It doesn’t change anything.

Rev. Dr. Robin H. Gorsline is President of People of Faith for Equality in Virginia, an interfaith organization of gay and straight clergy and lay people working for equality for LGBT Virginians. Read more of his thoughts on faith and spirituality on his personal blog.